Electrical connection.



Lage@ A '6. L. scHEL.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED ROV;6, I9I6.

1,280,867. Patented' 0@t.8,1918.

- W1TNEssEs INVENTOR.

I l A @601:9 L. goh/eel. M NW. B I

)uns ATTOREY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. SCHEEL, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed November 6, 1916. Serial No. 129,882.

To all whoml z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE L. SGHEEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of'Cook, and State of Illinois,.have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Connections, of which the following is a specification.

`My invention relates to improvements in electrical connections, and has for its object` the production of a device of this character The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,

' forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electrical connection embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same, and

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sections taken on lines :v-w and y-y respectively of Fig. 2.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises male and female members 1 and 2 which are adapted' to lrotatably interlock Awith each other. The male member 1 comprises an elongated cylindrical body 3 of insulating material around the base of which is secured .a tapering collar or sleeve 4 of conducting material, said member 4 being adapted to serve as a contact, as will be hereinafter set forth. For this purpose said member 4 is formed with a circumferential groove 5. The member 4 is locked to the enlarged base of member 3 by means of a screw 6,' thelatter also serving as a securing means for a threaded socket 7 of conducting material, which is mounted upon the opposite side of the base of member 3, said screw electrically connecting contact 4 and socket 7, as seen. A screw 8 also coperates with socket 7 to fasten the same securely in position. Said'socket 7 is surrounded by a protecting sleeve 9 of insulating material.

Extending centrally through the member 3, the entire length thereof, is a shaft or bar 10 of conducting material, the end of which, adjacent the socket 7, being adapted, when the device is in use, to serve as a Contact for engagement with the central contact or pole of the plug which may be threaded into socket 7, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The outer end of member 10 is enlarged and y cylindrically formed, the same being em- -braced by a cap 11 which is loosely rotatable thereon, being locked against relative longitudinal movement by engagement of the inwardly turned edge l2 of the same with a circumferential groove 1 3 formed in the outer end of said member 10. Interposed between the outer end of the member 11 and the correspondinr extremity of the member 10 is a ball 14, sa1d ball being of a diameter to nicely engage with the inneil surface ofI the outer end portion of member 11, said 'extremity of member 10 being hemispherically recessed t0 snugly receive said ball, as seen.

The female member 2 comprises a sleeve 15 of insulating material, at 'one end of which is arranged a` rounded end piece 16, also of insulating material, which is rigidly connected therewith. Provided in the member 16 is a series of balls 17 arran ed in circular formation andv yieldingly he d in position bymeansof a resilient holder 1.7 The balls 17, as will be seen, are arrangedat` the mouth of the socket which is constituted in the female member 2, said balls, upon insertion of the Outer end of the male member into said female member, being adapted to engage with the groove in contact member 4, in orderv to lock the parts ofthe device together in such a manner as to permit of relative rotary movement of the same.

Surrounding the member 15 is a screwthreaded sleeve 18 of conducting vmaterial which engages, at one end, with the holder 17 so as to serve as a conductor for the current passed from the member 4 through the balls 17 and holder 17. y v

Arranged at the opposite end of the member 18 is an end piece 19 of insulating ma-4 ,4

terial which is secured to the member 18 by means of screws 20. The `inner ends of 'l A preferred form of construction for carryf said screws pass, loosely, through diametric ears 21 provided upon the member 18,'as seenx in Fig. 4, and beingithreaded into an 'anchoringv member 22 arranged under said .ears

or ciit'away as at 23 and 24:, in order to afford v said anchoring memberl :being slotted clearance for .the earsf2l in assembling the parts. lThe member'22, after the same hasV passed the ears 21, inthe assembling operation, is turned to the position shownfor engagement of the screws 2O therewith.

'of which passesfthrough 4an opening. 2,8

Upon the outer. end ofrendpiece '19 lisarrangedan electrical terminal or contact constituted by a disk-`25 ofc'onducting material and a screw 26 alsojof; conductingmaterial, v

the latter, as seen,.servingto'l secure the for mer in position Said-screw also serves as a means'of securing the outer endy of a su'b-v j stantially U'shaped-spri ng127, the innerend formed in the member 19 in'orderto carry a cup 29 .at 'its inner end-[which is lsecurely fastened theretoA as. by .,isoldering. `Thec'up 29 serves ras a contact, the` recessl therein being of such shape and proportionsv asvto snugly* receive 'thefcontactmember ll-carried at thefouterjorV forward end -of the vmale` 4member, aslclearlyshownvin- 1j` ig.2'.A

With the 'construction set frth,'it Willbe Seen, that the' forward 'endof the male mem` ber will, upon insertion of `the-same intothe female member,`beengaged'with the cup# shaped contact r Inemberf2.9 of the female member which'vvilljserve as ameans of elec@ f 'v trically connecting the forwardend-offtheiyy p l 1art1-,hel Aouter end of saidmale `member with. n

- male memberlwith vthe/inner end of the Zfe*-` to 'permit o f :relative rotaryfmovement ;of

the parts,` lbutp., to f prevent.;l relative vlateral j. relative rotarymovement.

y. The mais member v is formed lMilfs; rearwardend into-a socket which isg'ada'pted for engagement with a conventional connecting plug, and the rearv'vardu end ofther female member is formed, asf-seen; for engagement withv a conventional f 'electrical connection f. socket'. The-device is thus adapted `fori'nsertion between the parts'of a :conventional screwthrea ded connection, the yemployment of a .device as'described, rendering the connection 'freely'` rotatable, `as will befreadily veconomical lespecially the connection of' the fOr-Ward and 0f f the `male member ,withk vthe mer end-c of the. female l`l`lernl3ler1ny.l

the appended claims. f i .Y Haviiig described myuinve'ntion what.A IV

i scribed,vv

ductors' comprising a pair offmale'l'and fep- [male connecting membersadapted y tov rotatably engage one' wit-hin vthev other; means l forllockingsaid members together lso as'to The construction `describedifis" simplean-df "insonne i While l have illustrated and described the .i

ing my invention into effect, this isca'pable of variationand modification lwithout vdeparting from .the spirit ,ofthev invention.v I therefore, do not wish to be limited tothe precise details of construction set forth, but i i' `desire to avail myself ofsuchvariations andl, i modifications as Vcome* within the 'scope of claim as new and 'desireto secure ,byr Letters;v 'yv locking said'members together yso, .as to per' mit vfof relative rotary;,movement` `of said i members; means electricallyconnecting the outer 'endof said male memberv withthe "inner end of said female*memberAlso',v as to permit of relative rotarygmovementof said` v'partsy andl prevent relativelateral movement thereof,l said last mentioned *means-compris ing a contact rotatablymountedgonaoneof v1f 'A connecting device for electrical Iconj ductors comprising a pair of male and fe, ,malev connecting membersadapted to rota-l tably engage one Within theoth'er;`ineans lfor said members;f: in il`al contact on ther4` other member embracing'said first mentioned con -ductors 'comprising a pair'f-of'maleland fe# l male. connectingmembers [adapted toi'rota' tably engage one within the other; means for. f L locking said `members together sofas'to.per-1` tact, substantially asdescribed; e

y2. A connecting device. forl electrical"conL mit of 'relativerotaryv .movement 1 of said members;-V means yelectrically,connecting 1nale member, the connectionbeing such'as'tithe inner yend ofjsaid .female member-so as to permit of relativerotarymovement 'of said partev and prevent relative lateral movement f thereof, said /last mentioned 'fmea'ns comprising 'a Contactin vtheform of a cap rotatably embracing/said end '-,of n saidf c first mentioned connecting device for ,electricall .con-y permitzof relative rotary'movement ofsaid members; means electrically'connectingthe Y l outer end of said malegmember with -the inner" end of ksaid lfemale member so as tov permit of relative' rotarymovement of said Y parts andprevent relativelateral movementv Y,

a ball 'arranged ,loosely lin said-contact and vinterposed lbetween thel outer end of the same and `the outerv extremity of said malemember; and a contacten said female member thereof, saidflast vmentioned means compris ing a contact in the formof acap rotatably t l c .12F ,embracing said -endijof.;said male member; i 1

members; means electrically connecting the outer end of said male member with the inner end of said female member so as to' permit of relative rotary movement of said parts and prevent relativelateral movement thereof, said last mentioned means comprising a contact in the form of a cap rotatably embracing said end of said male member; a ball arranged loosely in said contact and interposed between the outer'end of the same and the outer extremity of said male member; a contact 'on sa .i female memberI havin a cylindrical recess snugly embracing said first mentioned contact; and a spring carrying said second mentioned contact and serving to hold the same in yielding engagement with said first mentioned contact, substantially as described.

- 5. A connecting device for electrical conductors comprising a pair of male and'female connecting members adapted to rotatably engage one Within the other; means for locking said members together so as to permit of relative rotaryvmovement vof said `members; means electrically :connecting the outer -end of said male member` with the inner end of said female meinberV so as to permit of relative rotary movement of said parts and prevent relative lateral movement thereof, said last mentioned means comprising a contact in the form of a cap rotatably embracin said end of said male member; a circum erential groove in said male member; an in-turned edge on said contact loosely engagin in Said groove; and a recessed contact 1n said female member snugly embracing said first mentioned contact, substantially as described.

-6. A connecting device for electrical conductors comprising a pair of male and female connecting m'embers adapted to rotatably engage one Within the other; means for locking said members together sc as to permit of relative rotary movement of said members; means electrically-connecting the outer end of said male member with the inner end of said female member so as to permit of relative rotary movement of said parts and prevent lateral movement thereof, said last mentioned means comprising a contact rotatably mounted on one of said members; and a contact on the other member engaged by said first mentioned contact, substantially as described.

7. A connecting device for electrical conductors comprising a pair of male and female connecting members adapted to rotatably engage one Within the other; means for locking said members together so as to permit-of relative rotary movement of said members; means electrically connecting the outer end of said male member with the inner end of said female member so as to permit of relative rotary movement of said parts and prevent lateral movement thereof, said last mentioned means comprising a contact rotatably mounted on one of said members a contact on the other member engaged by said first mentioned contact; and resllient means for holding said contacts in yielding engagement with each other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE L. SCHEEL. 

